Our mission is to help students of all ages take control of their own fitness and health choices, build healthy habits, and become a part of a welcoming and safe online community.

Fran Bishop

~ and The MECKids Story ~

Fran Dean Bishop is no stranger to the world of health and fitness.

An accomplished business leader and health technology expert, Fran founded Aerobodies Inc. in 1994 as a provider of health management programs, products and services for corporations, local, state and federal government agencies. Today that same company has evolved to become AFC Management Services, and it serves organizations from coast to coast.

Fran is also an accomplished speaker and is highly in-demand for various health- and fitness-related conferences across the country. It was after one of these presentations that the idea for MECKids sprouted. A 16-year old named Lisa rang her phone and asked, “Do you still have the Fitness By Phone program available?”

Fran had just been featured as the Coach of Year in 2007 and Lisa had come across the article. “I think this program is perfect for me as a high school student I have hectic schedule but I want to get in shape and lose some weight! My mom says the price is just right for us at $495.”

Lisa came in a few days later for her appointment and handed Fran a check. Fran gasped; the check was for $4.95, not the $495 quoted in the magazine! Lisa has misread the information and had her mom write the check for the lesser amount.

The more that Fran thought about it, the more she realized that while there were plenty of resources devoted to workplace wellness and adult health, there were no similar organizations dedicated to building healthy habits in children. In fact, children often got the opposite message... especially when a slice of school cafeteria pizza is counted as a serving of vegetables under the FDA guidelines (something that still happens today)!

The more she thought about it, the more it was obvious - if healthy habits could be instilled in children from a young age, it would be much easier for them to stay healthy later in life. There were probably more kids just like Lisa looking for fitness and nutrition solutions that were tailor-made JUST FOR KIDS!

MECkids is working with schools in California, Arizona, Illinois, Florida, and Delaware

October 2010

MECKids lands its first county wide contract for Physical Education programming in Virginia Beach, Virginia

April 2009

MECKids launches first live event at T.C. WIlliams High School

January 2009

MECkids Beta site is launched

October 2007

Fran begins to work with developers on MECKids

March 2007

Fran meets 16-year old Lisa Perez and the idea for MECKids is born

Our Focus

The focus at MECKids is threefold:

Education

There is a glaring need for proper children's education in nutrition and fitness. MECKids aims to fix that; no more will you hear “Oh, he's a growing boy, he can eat junk food all day!” We educated students and their parents so that they can make smarter, healthier decisions that will serve them well into adulthood and beyond.

Motivation

Living in a healthy way isn't always easy; there's some level of mindfulness and discipline involved. MECKids gives students a single, convenient place where they can keep track of all of their fitness efforts and get instant feedback. We also encourage group activities and public commitment to goals to help kids stay motivated.

Connection

MECKids is a safe place where kids and teens can get together and make new friends without having to worry about cyber-bullying, online predators, or adult content. We work hard to make sure that our kids are learning how to be respectful, responsible users of social media - a skill that the 21st century youth can't do without. And we make sure that parents and teachers always have an opportunity to get involved with every stage of the process.

What Does MECKids Mean To Our Users?

Monica Campbell & daughter

We had a great time participating in the MECKids momNmeFit Winter Challenge 2015! I decided to use MECKIds primarily to help me introduce healthier eating habits into my daughters life...

Meet The TeaM

Fran Bishop, Event Host and Founder of MECKids

Fran Dean Bishop is an award winning Coach and CEO with 20 years of experience in health & wellness management. As a longtime mentor to young women and teenage girls, Fran decided to launch MECKids in 2009 after helping a young woman, Lisa Perez, lose weight and get in shape and rebuild her self-esteem. Since its initial launch, MECKids has helped thousands of young people across the country find and maintain their passion for great health and fitness.

Carlin Benedetto, Program Manager

Carlin Benedetto has a passion for dance, fitness, and motivating others. After dancing professionally in New York City for 10 years, her dream took her into the fitness field. She teaches at various fitness clubs in the Washington, D.C. area where she helps people achieve their fitness goals and become the best versions of themselves.

Latoya Morton, BootCamp Event Leader

Latoya Morton currently serves as the Area Manager for Aerobodies-AFC, another of Fran's fitness ventures. LaToya found her passion for fitness through sport; she was a Division I high jumper and short sprinter and is also an active Army Reservist at Fort Meade. LaToya is an enthusiastic fitness coach with eight years’ experience as a Health and Fitness Specialist and performance enhancement coach. She is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and currently holds a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science with a specialization in performance enhancement.

Shannon White, MECKids Dream Team Choreographer

Shannon White joined the MECKids Fitness Team in 2014 as the Creative Manager of fitness events and video presentations. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and has been dancing competitively in Jazz, Hip-Hop and Tap since the age of seven. After years of intensive practice and competitions across the country, Shannon attended Howard University where she became a Bison Cheerleader and one of two Artistic Directors for R.A.M.P.A.G.E. Among her many other talents, Shannon currently coaches and choreographs dances for the StarMaker Academy of Dance in Bowie, Maryland, and is an active member of Until Further Notice (UFN) dance company. UFN performs for many entertainment sports venues in the DMV including the Washington Wizards.

ChiChi Monet, Brand Ambassadors

ChiChi Monet is a 9 year-old singer and rapper duo from the Washington, D.C. area who uses their musical talent to inspire other kids to make good choices. ChiChi Monet focuses on issues like bullying, stranger danger, eating well and positive thinking. Gianna & Zoe (the dynamic duo of ChiChiMonet) joined the MECKids Fitness team in 2012 to help promote awareness and use of the MECKids platform by moms, kids and schools. Today MECKids & ChiChiMonet collaborate on many projects to support kids and their families to stay healthy and fit.